U.S. patent application number 16/086015 was filed with the patent office on 2019-03-28 for contact lens blister package, base member for a contact lens blister, sealing member for a contact lens blister and related methods.
This patent application is currently assigned to CooperVision International Holding Company, LP. The applicant listed for this patent is CooperVision International Holding Company, LP. Invention is credited to Adam Fieldhouse, Robert Oag.
Application Number | 20190092545 16/086015 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 58413142 |
Filed Date | 2019-03-28 |
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United States Patent
Application |
20190092545 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Oag; Robert ; et
al. |
March 28, 2019 |
Contact Lens Blister Package, Base Member For A Contact Lens
Blister, Sealing Member For A Contact Lens Blister And Related
Methods
Abstract
A contact lens blister package 1 includes (i) a cavity 4 for
storing a contact lens 20 and (ii) charging circuitry 3 configured
to charge an electronic device 22 forming part of a contact lens 20
stored in said cavity 4. Related methods are also described.
Inventors: |
Oag; Robert; (Southampton,
GB) ; Fieldhouse; Adam; (Limerick, IE) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
CooperVision International Holding Company, LP |
St. Michael |
|
BB |
|
|
Assignee: |
CooperVision International Holding
Company, LP
St. Michael
BB
|
Family ID: |
58413142 |
Appl. No.: |
16/086015 |
Filed: |
March 22, 2017 |
PCT Filed: |
March 22, 2017 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/GB2017/050800 |
371 Date: |
September 18, 2018 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
62313826 |
Mar 28, 2016 |
|
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|
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H02J 50/12 20160201;
A45C 11/005 20130101; B65B 11/52 20130101; H02J 7/0042 20130101;
B65B 25/008 20130101; H02J 7/00 20130101; H02J 2207/20 20200101;
B65D 2575/3245 20130101; H02J 7/025 20130101; B65D 2585/545
20130101; B65D 75/325 20130101 |
International
Class: |
B65D 75/32 20060101
B65D075/32; A45C 11/00 20060101 A45C011/00; B65B 25/00 20060101
B65B025/00; B65B 11/52 20060101 B65B011/52; H02J 7/00 20060101
H02J007/00; H02J 7/02 20060101 H02J007/02; H02J 50/12 20060101
H02J050/12 |
Claims
1-19. (canceled)
20. A contact lens blister package for storage of contact lenses
prior to first use of the lens, the package comprising (i) a cavity
for storing a contact lens and (ii) charging circuitry configured
to charge an electronic device forming part of a contact lens
stored in said cavity, wherein the charging circuity comprises a
power source that is a battery or other element arranged to retain
an electrical charge and wherein the charging circuitry comprises a
switch arranged to control the operation of the charging circuity,
wherein the package is a blister package for storage of contact
lenses prior to first use of the lens, and wherein the switch
comprises a detachable portion arranged such that detaching said
portion from the blister pack initiates charging of the electronic
device.
21. The contact lens blister package according to claim 20, wherein
the power source is a battery and the charging circuitry includes a
DC/AC inverter arranged to turn direct current from the battery
into alternating current.
22. The contact lens blister package according to claim 20, wherein
the charging circuitry is configured to charge the electronic
device wirelessly.
23. The contact lens blister package according to claim 22, wherein
the charging circuitry includes a first induction coil arranged to
receive current from a power source and to provide power wirelessly
to the electronic device.
24. The contact lens blister package according to claim 23, wherein
the first induction coil extends around at least a portion of the
perimeter of the cavity.
25. The contact lens blister package according to claim 23, wherein
the electronic device includes a second induction coil
electromagnetically coupled to the first induction coil, the first
and second induction coils preferably having the same resonant
frequency.
26. The contact lens blister package according to claim 20, wherein
the blister package includes a base member, wherein the base member
includes at least part of the charging circuitry.
27. The contact lens blister package according to claim 20, wherein
the blister package includes a sealing member, wherein the sealing
member includes at least part of the charging circuitry.
28. The contact lens blister package according to claim 20, wherein
the blister package further comprises a contact lens including an
electronic device being located within the cavity.
29. A method of manufacturing a packaged electronic contact lens,
the method comprising placing the contact lens, containing one or
more electronic components, in a cavity of a blister pack
comprising charging circuitry configured to charge the electronic
device, and then sealing the blister pack with the contact lens
contained within the cavity.
30. A method of providing a charge to an electronic device
contained within a contact lens, the method comprising sealing the
contact lens into a blister package comprising charging circuitry
configured to charge the electronic device.
31. The method according to claim 30, wherein the charging
circuitry comprises a power source, and the method comprises
charging the power source after the contact lens has been sealed
into the blister package.
32. The method according to claim 31, wherein said charging the
power source takes place more than one month after the blister
package is sealed.
33. The method according to claim 30, wherein the method comprises
activating the charging circuitry in order to charge the electronic
device.
34. The method according to claim 33, wherein said activating the
charging circuitry takes place more than one month after charging
the power source.
35. An array of contact lens blister packages, said array
comprising two or more contact lens blister packages coupled
together, wherein each of the two or more contact lens blister
packages are for storage of a single contact lens prior to first
use of the lens, and comprising (i) a cavity for storing a contact
lens and (ii) charging circuitry configured to charge an electronic
device forming part of a contact lens stored in said cavity,
wherein the charging circuity comprises a power source that is a
battery or other element arranged to retain an electrical charge
and wherein the charging circuitry comprises a switch arranged to
control the operation of the charging circuity, and wherein the
switch comprises a detachable portion arranged such that detaching
said portion from the blister pack initiates charging of the
electronic device.
Description
FIELD
[0001] This invention relates to the field of contact lens
containers. In particular, but not exclusively, the invention
provides a contact lens blister package for use with a contact lens
containing an electronic device.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Recent advances in microelectronics have led to renewed
interest in the idea of incorporating electronic devices into
contact lenses. One issue that needs to be addressed with such
technology is how to power the electronic device.
[0003] In commercial scale contact lens manufacture, particularly
of disposable contact lenses, there may be a significant delay
between a lens leaving a manufacturing facility and its use by the
end user. A charge stored in a battery or capacitor contained
within the contact lens may dissipate during this time.
Accordingly, it would be advantageous to provide an improved method
and apparatus for providing a power supply to electronic components
located inside a contact lens.
SUMMARY
[0004] Briefly and in general terms, the present invention provides
methods and apparatus for providing an energy supply to an
electronic device or component located inside a contact lens.
[0005] This invention provides, in a first aspect, a contact lens
blister package comprising (i) a cavity for storing a contact lens
and (ii) charging circuitry configured to charge an electronic
device forming part of a contact lens stored in said cavity.
[0006] The invention provides, in a second aspect, a method of
providing a charge to an electronic device contained within a
contact lens, the method comprising sealing the contact lens into a
blister package comprising charging circuitry configured to charge
the electronic device.
[0007] The invention provides, in a third aspect, a method of
manufacturing a packaged electronic contact lens, the method
comprising placing the contact lens, such as a hydrogel or silicone
hydrogel contact lens, containing one or more electronic
components, in a cavity of a blister pack comprising charging
circuitry configured to charge the electronic device, and then
sealing the blister pack with the contact lens contained within the
cavity.
[0008] In further aspects, the invention provides a base member
and/or a sealing member for a contact lens blister package
including circuitry configured for use as the charging circuitry of
any other aspect.
[0009] It will be appreciated that features described in relation
to one aspect of the present invention can be incorporated into
other aspects of the present invention. For example, any of the
features described with reference to the apparatus of invention may
be incorporated into the method of the invention, and vice versa.
Moreover, additional embodiments and aspects will be apparent from
the following description, drawings, and claims. As can be
appreciated from the foregoing and following description, each and
every feature described herein, and each and every combination of
two or more of such features, and each and every combination of one
or more values defining a range, are included within the scope of
the present disclosure provided that the features included in such
a combination are not mutually inconsistent. In addition, any
feature or combination of features or any value(s) defining a range
may be specifically excluded from any embodiment of the present
disclosure.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0010] Examples of the methods and apparatus of the present
invention will now be described, by way of example only, with
reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
[0011] FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view of part of a blister package
in accordance with a first example embodiment;
[0012] FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view of a contact lens for
storage in the blister package of the first embodiment; and
[0013] FIG. 3 shows a circuit diagram for use in the first
embodiment.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0014] Embodiments are described herein in the context of improved
methods and systems for the manufacture of contact lenses
incorporating electronic components.
[0015] Those of ordinary skill in the art will realize that the
following detailed description is illustrative only and is not
intended to be in any way limiting. Other embodiments of the
present invention will readily suggest themselves to such skilled
persons having the benefit of this disclosure. Reference will be
made in detail to implementations as illustrated in the
accompanying drawings. The same reference indicators will be used
throughout the drawings and the following detailed description to
refer to the same or like parts.
[0016] As previously stated, a first aspect of the invention is
directed to a contact lens blister package. The blister package
comprises a cavity for storing a contact lens. The blister package
further comprises charging circuitry configured to charge an
electronic device forming part of a contact lens stored in said
cavity. A wider variety of power sources and/or larger power
sources may be included in a blister package as compared to a
contact lens, and this may facilitate designs in which the power
source in the blister pack can store more charge over a longer
period as compared to a power source located in a contact lens.
[0017] Contact lens blister packages (also known as blister packs)
are a form of contact lens primary package well known in the art.
Blister packages are used for storage of contact lenses following
manufacture of the lens and prior to first use of the lens. Contact
lenses are typically stored in blister packages for a period of
months or a number of years (e.g. 0 to 7 years). The contact lens
is typically stored in a fluid, such as a buffered saline solution,
in a sealed cavity in the blister package. WO 2008/070782, the
contents of which are incorporated herein by reference, describes
an example blister pack. Another form of blister package is
described in WO 03/016175. It will be appreciated that the present
invention may be applicable to blister packs having a wide range of
shapes and configurations.
[0018] The blister package comprises a base member. The base member
may comprise a recess dimensioned to receive a contact lens. The
recess may form, at least in part, the cavity in which the contact
lens is stored. The base member may further comprise a flange
portion outwardly extending from the recess. The blister package
may comprise a sealing member arranged to close off the recess and
provide a liquid tight seal for the contact lens located in the
cavity. Thus, the cavity of a blister pack may be formed by the
recess when closed off by the sealing member. The sealing member
may be removably attached to the base member, for example the
flange. The sealing member may comprise a foil lid. The blister
package may be configured to be disposable.
[0019] A plurality of blister packages can be coupled together to
form an array of contact lens blister packages. An array of blister
packages may for example consist of two, three, four, five, six, or
more blister packages arranged in a strip.
[0020] A blister package is an example of a primary contact lens
package. A plurality of blister packs may be contained in a
secondary package. The secondary package may be arranged to receive
a plurality of sealed blister packages, for example a plurality of
sealed blister packages arranged in arrays. The secondary package
may comprise a carton.
[0021] The charging circuitry may comprise a power source. The
power source may be arranged to supply a current to an induction
coil. The power source may comprise a battery, solar storage (e.g.
energy storage co-located with photo voltaic cells) or other
element arranged to retain an electrical charge.
[0022] The charging circuitry may comprise a DC/AC converter
arranged to convert a direct current from the power source into an
alternating current. In the case that the power source is a
battery, the charging circuitry may include a DC/AC converter
arranged to turn direct current from the battery into an
alternating current.
[0023] The charging circuitry may be configured to charge the
electronic device wirelessly.
[0024] The charging circuitry may comprise an antenna, for example
a first induction coil, arranged to produce an alternating
electromagnetic field. The induction coil may be arranged to
receive current from the power source and to provide power
wirelessly to the electronic device. The induction coil may be
located in the blister pack such that, in use, a contact lens
received in the cavity will experience the electromagnetic field
generated by the coil. The induction coil may be located in (for
example be attached to or incorporated into) the base member. The
induction coil may be located in (for example be attached to or
incorporated into) the sealing member.
[0025] The induction coil may extend around at least a portion of,
for example the majority of, for example substantially all of, the
perimeter (e.g. the edge) of the cavity in which, in use, the
contact lens is stored. In the case that the contact lens is, in
use, stored within a recess formed in the base member of a blister
pack, the induction coil may extend around at least a portion of,
for example the majority of, for example substantially all of, the
perimeter of said recess. Thus, in the case that the cavity has
circular or truncated circular perimeter, the induction coil may be
any of a full or partial annulus.
[0026] The charging circuitry may include a second induction coil
electromagnetically coupled to the first induction coil. The first
and second induction coils may have the same resonant
frequency.
[0027] The charging circuitry may comprise a switch arranged to
control the operation of the charging circuitry. The switch may be
arranged such that when the switch is in the closed position the
circuitry can operate to wirelessly charge an electronic device
contained within a contact lens stored in the blister package. It
may be that when the switch is in the closed (on) position current
can flow from the battery to the induction coil. It may be that
when the switch is in the open (off) position current is prevented
from flowing from the battery to the induction coil. The switch may
comprise a tab and/or button. The switch may comprise a detachable
portion arranged such that detaching said portion from the blister
pack initiates charging of the electronic device.
[0028] The base member of the blister package may include at least
part of the charging circuitry. It may be that the base member
comprises all of the charging circuitry. Thus, in one aspect, the
invention may provide a base member comprising at least part of,
for example all of, the charging circuitry.
[0029] The sealing member of the blister package may include at
least part of the charging circuitry. It may be that the sealing
member comprises all of the charging circuitry. In the case that a
single member forms the sealing member for a plurality of blister
packages, the single member may comprise at least part of the
charging circuitry for a plurality of blister packages and/or some
elements of the charging circuity may be shared between multiple
blister packages. Thus, in one aspect, the invention may provide a
sealing member comprising at least part of, for example all of, the
charging circuitry for one or more blister packages.
[0030] The base members of the present packages can be made from a
variety of materials, for example plastic, for example
thermoplastic, materials. In certain embodiments, the base member
is an injection molded polyolefin material. For example, some of
the base members, including the illustrated base members, are
formed from polypropylene. The base members can be made by any
conventional technique. In the illustrated embodiment, the base
members are injection molded elements. In other embodiments, the
base members may be thermoformed.
[0031] A contact lens including an electronic device may be located
within the cavity of the blister package.
[0032] A contact lens for use with the blister package of the
present disclosure may comprise one or more electronic components.
The electronic component(s) of the contact lens may form part of an
electronic device. The electronic device may comprise receiving
circuitry arranged to receive power from the charging circuitry
that forms part of the blister pack.
[0033] The receiving circuitry may comprise a contact lens power
source arranged to provide power to an electronic component located
within the contact lens. The contact lens power source may comprise
a battery, capacitor or other element arranged to store the power
received from the charging circuit. The power source of the contact
lens may have a lesser capacity for storing charge as compared to
the power source of the blister pack. It may be that the power
source of the blister pack can store a greater quantity of charge
than the power source of the contact lens. It may be that the power
source of the blister pack can retain a given amount of charge for
a longer period than the power source of the contact lens. The
power source of the contact lens may have a higher leakage rate
than the power source of the blister pack.
[0034] The receiving circuitry may comprise a receiving induction
coil arranged to receive power from the induction coil, or each of
the induction coils, of the charging circuitry. It may be that an
alternating current is induced in the receiving induction coil by
an alternating magnetic field produced by the induction coil, or
each of the induction coils, of the charging circuitry.
[0035] The receiving circuitry may comprise an AC/DC converter. The
AC/DC converter may be arranged to convert an alternating current
produced by the receiving induction coil into a direct current for
storage by the contact lens power source.
[0036] The second aspect provides a method of providing a charge to
an electronic device contained within a contact lens. The method
comprises sealing the contact lens into a blister package
comprising charging circuitry configured to charge the electronic
device.
[0037] The third aspect provides a method of manufacturing a
packaged electronic contact lens. The contact lens, such as a
hydrogel or silicone hydrogel contact lens, containing one or more
electronic components, is placed in a cavity of a blister pack
comprising charging circuitry configured to charge the electronic
device. The blister pack is sealed with the contact lens contained
within the cavity.
[0038] The charging circuitry may comprise a power source, as
discussed above. The method may comprise charging the power source
after the contact lens has been sealed into the blister
package.
[0039] There may be a significant delay, for example a delay of
several weeks or a small number of months (e.g. 1 or 2 months),
between the sealing of a contact lens into the blister package and
the charging of the power source. Thus, the step of charging the
power source may take place more than one month after the blister
package is sealed. The charging of the power source may take place
immediately before the contact lens is dispatched to the end
user.
[0040] There may be a significant delay, for example a delay of
several weeks or a number of months (e.g. 1 to 4 months), between
the charging of the power source and the charging of the electronic
device located within the contact lens. For example, the charging
of the electronic device located within the contact lens may take
place more than a month, for example more than two months, after
the charging of the power source. The power source may be charged
in the manufacturing facility where the blister pack is sealed. The
power source may be charged at a distribution center forming part
of the distribution chain downstream of the manufacturing
facility.
[0041] The method may comprise the step of activating the charging
circuitry, for example closing a switch, in order to charge the
electronic device. There may be a significant delay, for example a
delay of several weeks or a number of months (e.g. 1 to 4 months),
between the charging of the power source and the activation of the
charging circuitry. Thus, the step of activating the charging
circuitry (i.e. charging the electronic device) may take place more
than one month after charging the power source.
[0042] The blister package and contact lens may be arranged such
that charging of the contact lens power source takes a small number
of hours (e.g. 1 to 12 hours, for example 2 to 6 hours). Thus, it
may be that an end user activates the charging circuitry in the
evening in order to prepare the contact lens for use the following
morning.
[0043] The contact lens of the present disclosure is understood to
include any ophthalmic lens that can be worn directly on the eye. A
contact lens according to the present disclosure may be a
corrective contact lens, for example, used to treat a condition
selected from myopia, hyperopia, astigmatism, presbyopia, and color
deficiencies. Alternatively or additionally a contact lens may be
cosmetic, i.e. designed to change the appearance, for example, the
color, of the eye. Alternatively or additionally, a contact lens of
the present disclosure may be a therapeutic contact lens, for
example, a contact lens used to protect a damaged or diseased
cornea. A contact lens of the present disclosure may be a sensor,
for example to monitor the health or a biological signal of the
wearer. It will be appreciated that, with appropriate modification,
the present methods may also be useful for the manufacture of other
types of ophthalmic lenses.
[0044] The contact lens of the present disclosure may be a hydrogel
contact lens. The hydrogel contact lens may be a silicone hydrogel
contact lens or non-silicone hydrogel contact lens. The contact
lens of the present disclosure may be a disposable and/or single
use lens. The contact lens of the present disclosure may be a
silicone elastomer contact lens.
[0045] With reference to the drawings, FIG. 1 shows a schematic
plan view of part of a blister package 1 in accordance with an
example embodiment of the present invention. The blister package 1
comprises a plastic base 2 which appears rectangular when the upper
surface is viewed in plan in FIG. 1. A bowl-like lens recess 4,
which appears as a truncated circle when viewed in plan in FIG. 1,
is formed towards a first end of the base 2. The other end of the
base has a substantially flat surface region 2a. A battery cell 6
located in the flat surface region of the base is connected by two
conductive paths 8 to the input side of a DC/AC converter 10, also
located in the flat surface region. A tab switch 12 is located
between the battery 6 and the converter 10 on one of the conductive
paths 8. An annular transmitting induction coil 14 extends around
the perimeter of the lens recess 4 and is connected by two
conductive paths 8 to the output side of the DC/AC converter 10. A
foil lid (not shown in FIG. 1) extends over the upper surface of
the blister pack and is heat sealed to the surface such that the
recess 4 and lid together form a cavity in which a contact lens 20
can be stored. A dashed line denotes the location of a contact lens
20, within the recess 4 in FIG. 1.
[0046] FIG. 2 shows a schematic plan view of a contact lens 20 for
storage in the blister pack 1 of the first embodiment. Located
within the contact lens 20 is an electronic device 22. The
electronic device includes an electronic component 23 powered by a
battery 24. The electronic device 22 further includes an AC/DC
converter 26. The battery 24 is connected to the AC/DC converter 26
which is in turn connected to an annular receiving induction coil
28 extending circumferentially around a peripheral portion of the
lens 20.
[0047] FIG. 3 shows a circuit diagram for the blister package and
contact lens of the first embodiment. The circuit diagram shows the
charging circuitry 3 (located in a blister package 1, not shown in
FIG. 3) and receiving circuitry 5 (located in the contact lens 20,
not shown in FIG. 3). The charging circuit comprises a battery 6, a
switch 12, a DC/AC converter 10 and an inductor 14. The battery 6,
switch 12 and DC/AC converter 10 are connected in series. The
inductor 14 is connected to the output of the DC/AC converter 10.
The receiving circuit comprises a battery 24, an AC/DC converter 26
and an inductor 28. The battery 24 and AC/DC converter 26 of the
receiving circuit are connected in series. The inductor 28 is
connected to the input of the AC/DC converter 26. It will be
appreciated that other elements may be included in both the
charging circuit and the receiving circuit.
[0048] In use, the battery cell 6 is charged shortly before the
sealed blister pack is dispatched to the end user. Prior to using
the contact lens 20, for example the night before using the contact
lens 20, the end user presses the tab switch 12 to begin charging
the contact lens battery 24. Closing the switch 12 allows direct
current to flow from the blister pack battery 6 to the converter
10. The converter then outputs an alternating current to the
transmitting coil 14 which causes the coil to produce an
alternating electromagnetic field. As the coil 14 extends around
the perimeter of the recess 4, the field produced by the antenna 14
extends across the cavity in which the contact lens 20 is stored.
This electromagnetic field produced by the transmitting coil 14
induces an alternating current in the receiving coil 28 of the
contact lens 20, which is then converted to a DC current by the
AC/DC convertor 26 before being stored in the contact lens battery
24. The lens 20 may be left to charge overnight. Once the contact
lens battery 24 is charged the user can unseal the blister package
1 by removing the foil lid and then use the lens 20, with the
contact lens battery 24 powering the electronic component 23 of the
electronic device 22.
[0049] While the present invention has been described and
illustrated with reference to particular embodiments, it will be
appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that the
disclosure lends itself to many different variations not
specifically illustrated herein.
[0050] Where, in the foregoing description, integers or elements
are mentioned that have known, obvious, or foreseeable equivalents,
then such equivalents are herein incorporated as if individually
set forth. Reference should be made to the claims for determining
the true scope of the present disclosure, which should be construed
so as to encompass any such equivalents. It will also be
appreciated by the reader that integers or features of the
disclosure that are described as optional do not limit the scope of
the independent claims. Moreover, it is to be understood that such
optional integers or features, while of possible benefit in some
embodiments of the invention, may not be desirable, and can
therefore be absent, in other embodiments.
* * * * *